1. Field of the Invention
The Invention relates generally to devices for coupling tube and rod elements together and particularly to snap-fitting, spring-loaded push button devices which couple said elements and, on rotation of the push button, lock said coupled elements together.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Spring-loaded push button connectors have long been known in the art for coupling together rod-like elements to tubular elements and tubular elements to each other. Such situations are found in a variety of environments including the coupling together of frame sections such as are used in items as diverse as tripod legs and tubular frame furniture. In more active environments, such as the coupling together of lowering rods and auger flight sections, high torque forces, vibration and the like cause conventional push button couplers to disengage and allow decoupling of linked assemblies. In a situation such as drilling into the earth to form boreholes, cuttings conveyed past a conventional push button coupler by a spinning auger flight can produce decoupling of the auger. This event can leave some flight portions down hole within the borehole with the distal end of such a drill string then being possibly lost if the decoupled assembly cannot be retrieved from the borehole.
Accordingly, the prior art has experienced the need for a coupling device which is as simple as conventional push button coupling connectors but which are capable of locking the coupled elements together in an inexpensive and simple fashion. Further, the art requires a simple coupling and locking push button connector which allows rapid and simple decoupling as desired. The present invention provides such a simple, inexpensive and easily operable push button coupling connector which also is capable of locking the coupled elements together once coupling has been achieved.